I Think You Broke Him
by rose217
Summary: Rory's at a party and turns the tables on Finn, shocking him speechless. PDLD.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing, just took them out for a walk. They'll be back before dinner.

Rating: T

_**I think you broke him…**_

Rory was actually having fun. She was at a party surrounded by rich kids that were drunk off their asses. And, for the first time, she was able to see it for what it was – her friends were blowing off steam. Pure and simple. As she'd gotten to know them better she realized not all of them were as lazy as Logan appeared. Because, even for him, it was mostly an act. Legacy or not, you can't party your way through Yale. Well, except for…

Her train of thought was interrupted by a laughing Stephanie who collapsed beside her on the couch.

"Enjoying yourself, Ror?"

"I was. Now I'm empty. Headed over to the bar. You want?"

"Nah, I'm good."

As she made her way to the bar bits of the conversations being had floated through her. She rolled her eyes. Every college party in America was full of drunk-pseudo-intellectual philosophers who solved the world's problems in the time it took them to finish 3 highballs. Why would this one be any different? Too bad after the third they greatly increased their rate of consumption and forgot all the solutions for world peace and the expansion of capitalism by the time of the next morning's sunrise.

She'd made it to the bar and caught the bartender's eye. While she waited for her next gin gimlet she tuned to survey the room, hoping to find an interesting conversation to join. Or at the very least entertaining.

She spotted Logan chatting up a leggy blond. She returned his smile and winked. After their try at first casual, and then serious, dating they had both determined that it would be better to just be friends. The whole situation just overwhelmed the both of them and became way too intense. Neither one of them wanted things to get as serious as what their families had expected.

She turned back around to grab her drink and as she reached for it, she felt someone settle on the stool next to her.

"Hello, there. Have we met?"

She took a sip of her drink, placed the tumbler on the bar, and looked Finn straight in the eye as her own blue ones took on a mischievous glint.

"No, we haven't," she told him as she took a step towards him. "But you're kinda cute. Let's go back to your place, take off all our clothes, and see what kind of trouble we can get into. How flexible are you?"

Finn's eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and his breath came out in a whoosh of air. He managed to regain control of his facial muscles after a bit. However, this only allowed him the ability to blink several times, or to alternately open and close his mouth.

Rory thought he'd make a rather adorable fish.

"Finn?"

He managed a, "MMnnh?"

Stephanie and Colin came up behind her.

"Finn, do you know what we did with the red cape that goes with the matador costume? We wanted to use it to…"

"What happened to Finn, Rory?"

"I don't know. He sat down and we'd just started talking when _this _happened."

"Finn?" Colin snapped his fingers in front of he eyes. Finn turned to look at him but still only managed to blink and gape.

"I think you broke him," Stephanie said in Rory's ear.

Logan had been watching the situation progress from a small distance away. He'd watched Ace fry Finn's circuits without even realizing what she was doing. He'd known Finn had it bad for her, and had been waiting for the Aussie to work up the nerve to do something about it. Flighty redheads, he knew what to do with. Brilliant girls that he'd fallen head over heels for were quite another matter.

Taking pity on him, Logan walked over to find Stephanie trying to snap him out of it.

"Finn? Come on, snap out of it or I'll show everybody those pictures from Spring Break freshman year."

"Finn passed those around at last year's Christmas party, Steph. I think he needs to get out of this crowd. It's a little stuffy in here, don't you think, Ace?"

"Yeah, sure. Come on, Finn. Let's take a walk, okay?"

Logan could tell from the guilty look in her eyes that his guess about exactly what she'd said to Finn was pretty close to the truth. He gave a warning look to Stephanie and Colin.

'Not a word,' he mouthed. They'd noticed Finn's attraction as well. It seemed the only one who hadn't was Rory. As much as she'd become a part of their group, she was still pretty oblivious at times. They chalked it up to all that book-smelling. Couldn't be good for you.

Once outside, Rory led Finn down the path that led to the courtyard. They took a seat on one of the benches.

"Finn?"

She didn't really know what to do. She didn't have an arsenal of bribery material like the others. Even so, it seemed not much could embarrass Finn. He was imperturbable. Most of the time. She couldn't believe _she_ had managed to shock _him_.

Then she had a thought. If she had shocked him into it, maybe she could shock him out of it.

She leaned close and brought her lips to his. She hadn't expected the jolt that came from such a light touch. Now unable to stop herself, she placed soft kisses across his upper lip and circled his bottom until she reached her starting point. It was as she started to kiss him fully on the mouth that he responded. Slowly at first and then they both deepened the kiss. He pulled her into his lap as they continued.

They broke away panting and she looked into his eyes.

"You back?" she inquired with a small smile.

"Yeah, sorry. I was trying to, um, process. Even if you were just kidding, I…"

"Finn?" she interrupted him, "Why didn't you say something?"

"Dunno. I wasn't sure and then I thought maybe you'd want somebody more serious and then I thought maybe you didn't want anybody right now and then I thought maybe it would make things weird and then…"

"Finn?" she interrupted him again, "Shut up and kiss me."

"Right."

This kiss was more exploratory than the first. Every time he'd seen her pout he'd wondered what her bottom lip would taste like.

When he moved to sample the soft spot just behind her right ear he missed the sparkle in her eye.

"So? I asked you a question earlier?"

His brain was a little fuzzy at the moment, and he pulled back and shot her a puzzled look.

She took pity on him and repeated the question, "How flexible are you?"

A wicked grin spread across his face as he lifted her up in his arms from their spot on the bench.

"Let's just go find out, shall we?"

She threw her head back and laughed. Yeah, parties were so much fun.

End


	2. Chapter 2 Payback

**I Think You Broke Him – Chapter 2 Payback**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, just amusing myself. I promise to put them back when I'm done.**

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I had no intention of continuing this after the first part, but the plot bunny wouldn't die. Also, it was fun, yeah?_

Rory Gilmore opened the door to her suite, dropped her bag near the door, shed her jacket and flopped down on the couch.

Only to have the phone ring.

Irritated she stretched her left arm over the back of the couch to reach the handset.

"Yeah?" she answered, trying to sound as pitiful as possible. Maybe whoever it was would make it brief and leave her alone.

"Ace? It's Logan. Have you seen Finn?"

"No. Not since this morning."

"Tell him I'm looking?"

"Sure, bye."

She hung up the phone and sighed. Finally, peace. Then there was a knock on the door.

She moaned. Then yelled, "Enter at your own risk!"

The door opened and Finn craned his head around through the crack. "Are you planning on throwing things?"

"Oh, it's you!" she said with a tired smile. "You are a sight for sore eyes."

"But yours are closed," Finn teased. "You look exhausted," he continued once he rounded the couch and sat down next to her.

"The final was all essay questions. We had to pick 6 out of 10. Which would have been fine, but I had such a hard time choosing and then I had a hard time limiting my responses to be concise. Can it be possible to know _too_ much for a test?" She leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Dunno. Never had that problem, really."

She smiled as she stretched to kiss a spot behind his ear. "You forget who you're talking to, mister. Logan called, he's looking for you."

He smiled and returned her kiss with a peck to her forehead. "I'll call him in a bit. Listen, love, I know you're tired, but I've got a surprise for you."

She immediately perked up. "Surprise? Really? What is it?" She pulled away from him and sat up on her knees.

"I told you. It's a surprise, and don't think you can use those adorable baby blues to get it out of me. I won't break. Now, get in there, wash away all that study and test grime, and get dolled up."

"Hey! I'm not grimy!" she exclaimed with a pout and a swat to his arm.

"You are! You smell like the library," he teased. It was an inside joke they shared. He claimed he was allergic to the library smell she loved so well. He used it as the reason he refused to study with her among the stacks.

Truthfully, they distracted each other too much for studying together to ever work.

"Fine! I'm going. Hey! What should I wear?"

He turned and grinned as he headed out the door, "How about that sexy little red number you bought last week?"

"How did you know about that?"

"I have my sources, love. I have my sources."

She grinned as she hurried to get ready. "Ha!" she said aloud as she congratulated herself silently. She'd been with Steph when she bought the dress. One thing you could always count on was Stephanie not being able to keep a secret for very long. And since she'd told her that she wanted to surprise Finn with that dress, well, the rest was taken care of. It had also given her a small clue where they'd be going. Definitely fancy. She felt a second wind coming on.

Outside, Finn placed a call to Logan. He got the confirmation he was expecting. With Huntzberger's connections he'd been able to reserve the entire patio of Rory's favorite New Haven restaurant. He smiled and began whistling as he made his way to his own room to get ready for the evening.

Meanwhile, Rory contemplated her relationship with Finn. Who could have known that a night that had begun with her propositioning him would turn into this? Friends with benefits she had expected. She thought that Finn would be fun to be with, but she never expected it to get this serious. Sure, Finn was the walking embodiment of fun, but she'd never imagined he would be this way.

They spent a lot of time together - parties, dinners, lunches, coffee breaks, weekends in Stars Hollow, weekends in New York. He brought out her inner sense of fun and adventure and she brought out his serious side, a side that had been well hidden before they had begun dating. In fact, before Rory, the gang had been fairly sure that Finn did not possess a serious side.

The truth was they were a case of opposites attract, and they complimented each other perfectly. They really were stomach turning in their perfection. Colin pointed it out on a regular basis.

She knew things about him that nobody else knew. Like that he was actually very smart. While his friends didn't know he even went to class, she knew he was an Econ major. People saw the outer slacker and made all sorts of presumptions about his academic abilities. She knew he had a near perfect GPA. She new he had a childhood friend back in Australia that he kept in very close contact with. She knew he was the only boy in a family of five, and he was right in the middle. And, after that first night together, she had discovered _exactly_ how flexible he was.

She also knew that about his first heartbreak. It happened when he was 11, her name was Candy, and she was a blond. Okay, it was his first pet, a golden retriever, and she died of old age, but honestly, he got all teary telling her about it. She'd told him she loved him that afternoon.

She was just putting the finishing touches on when he knocked on her door before entering.

"You look good enough to eat, love," he said as he pulled her to him for a slow lingering kiss.

"Dessert before dinner?" she asked between kisses as she quirked one eyebrow.

He pulled back and grinned, "Nah, we've got reservations," he said.

"You're up to something," she accused with a grin and a finger-poke to his chest.

"Me? Darling, I have no idea what you're talking about," he told her innocently. "I'm hungry, let's go."

He pulled her by the hand out the door, and she just barely managed to grab her purse and coat as he hurried her along. "You still haven't told me _where_ we're going," she said as she skittered along the sidewalk trying to keep up with his longer strides.

He only grinned as he kept silent. He knew that she actually enjoyed the torture of not knowing, so he simply let her squirm with the curiosity. She couldn't help it; it was the reporter in her.

When they pulled up in front of the restaurant, she squealed and clapped her hands. The valet opened her door and Finn was there to help her out. He pulled her close and she gave him a small kiss before softly inquiring "What _are_ you up to?"

He only grinned as he led her inside. They were led back to the patio and Finn relaxed a little as the sight had the desired effect on Rory. Things were going as planned.

"Finn, the entire patio? How did you get them to do this? _Why_ did you get them to do this?"

"Yes, being friends with Logan _does_ have a few benefits, and I thought it would be nice to have dinner together," he ticked off the answers one by one.

"Yes, but," she was interrupted by the jazz quartet at the other end that she hadn't noticed yet.

"Miss Gilmore, would you care to dance?"

She smiled her acceptance and took his hand. As his arms encircled her she thought about how much fun it was to be with him. He was always doing something surprising. He had an off-kilter sense of humor that was hilarious and comforting at the same time. Growing up with Lorelai had given her an appreciation of the ridiculous, and Finn was there to make sure she didn't take herself and life in general too seriously.

Dinner itself was fabulous. During midterms she'd been living off whatever she could grab on her way to and from the library. She hadn't eaten this well in a while. After they'd finished dessert and were lingering over coffee, Finn spoke.

"Ror, could you come over here?" She nodded and moved to sit in his lap. It was something the two of them had started doing early on. It seemed both of them shared better when they were in closer contact. It was comforting and easier when there wasn't a great deal of distance between them. He put his forehead to hers and continued,

"Love, these past few months have been the best of my life. I've never known anyone like you and no one on this continent knows me better than you. There was a reason behind tonight, other than feeding you and getting you to come back to my room and do wicked things to me." She grinned at that and got a mischievous gleam in her eyes. He kissed her lightly and continued. He took a deep breath resumed his spot at her forehead and closed his eyes in concentration.

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, I have fallen in love with you. You've stolen my heart and I wouldn't have it any other way. I want you to come home with me to Australia for the summer. I want you to meet my family and see the vineyards and see my side of the world."

He opened his eyes and pulled away from her. "Rory?"

Rory, was, at the moment, quite unable to speak. When she'd told him she loved him, she hadn't put any pressure on him to say it back, she'd just needed him to know. And, now, he'd said it right back to her. He'd planned this amazing evening, told her he loved her, and invited her to meet his family. All she could do was smile and gaze into his eyes with a dopey look on her face.

He wasn't sure what to do, then he remembered what had worked for him that night all those months ago. He kissed her.

However, unlike that first kiss, this wasn't tentative and questioning. This was passion defined. He tried to put everything he felt for her in this kiss in hopes that when he pulled back she'd come back to the ground and respond. It wouldn't do to have his angel up in the clouds.

They parted and when she blinked her eyes, the haze cleared. Now the giddiness was replaced with lust and passion.

"Yes, I'll go home to Australia with you for the summer. I'll meet your family and see your side of the world. But, first, do you think we could just go back to your room and I could do those wicked things to you that you mentioned earlier?"

The glint was back, and he grinned. Yeah, things were going exactly as planned.


	3. Chapter 3 A Simple Solution

**I Think You Broke Him – Chapter 3 – A Simple Solution**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, just amusing myself. I promise to put them back when I'm done.**

_A/N: Okay, from the looks of this story, my brain is filled with nothing more than fluff. It's like cotton candy and marshmallow cream up there. Which is really sweet, but rots your teeth and can give you a stomach ache. So proceed at risk to your digestive and dental health. Mainly a transitional chapter. Also, it's romance, people. Less plot, more situational dialogue. But, I'm getting there._

The next morning when the initial warm fuzzies of knowing she was loved, and the post-coital glow that was brought on by the passion that was powered by the aforementioned knowing, had worn off, she realized something.

Last night she'd told Finn, _her boyfriend_ (she smiled at the thought), that she would spend the summer break with him in Australia. At the time she had accepted the offer, she had completely forgotten about her other plans for the summer. The Gilmore-Danes' wedding was scheduled for mid-June. She was the maid of honor. She groaned in disbelief. How could she have forgotten?

Finn answered her groan with a "Mumph?" of his own.

"Coffee first," she said as she pushed herself out of bed, "then I need to talk to you about something."

In turn, he rolled out of bed and headed for the shower. She knew that, as strong as her addiction to caffeine was, _he_ couldn't wake up properly without a blistering hot shower. She stretched up to kiss his cheek and then headed out to the kitchen area to make coffee.

As she got the pot ready, she reflected on the fact that it hadn't taken her long to feel comfortable here. It certainly helped that Finn had a private room. No awkward moments with the roommate. But aside from that, Finn's place was…homey. He had prints and photographs of different Australian landscapes and landmarks all over his walls. There were photographs of his family; snapshots mixed with more formal, professional portraits. When she first saw his place, she assumed he had all these things around him since he was so far from home. After all, every other guy she knew kept the décor to a minimum.

The more she'd gotten to know him, she'd realized it was more than his effort to ward of homesickness. It turned out he was truly fond of his homeland and loved his family very much. She also suspected he was afraid that one of his sisters would show up at any moment and want to see all the family displayed prominently.

She also saw that Finn's outward personality was his way of dealing with Connecticut. The antics were his way of off-setting the New England stuffiness that surrounded him. In terms of social standing he was right up there with the Gilmores, Haydens, and, yes, even the Huntzbergers; however, the pretension was somewhat lacking. While his family was as "old money" as they come, it was also Australian. Even the most pretentious of Australians couldn't compete with the ladies of the DAR. It was physically impossible. Really, who would _want _to put a stick up their arse? His words, not hers. Though her mother readily agreed with him.

So, as he liked to put it, he played the "drunk exotic". People forgave his antics and it kept him from having to be taken seriously. It also kept him away from the matchmaking mamas of the Hartford and New Haven society set. It was definitely more fun that way. It allowed him to go to fabulous parties (he considered any party with fairly decent food and plenty of alcohol fabulous), and still fly under the radar.

Rory was quite satisfied with his explanation despite knowing about, and having been witness to, his promiscuous past. She rolled her eyes at the direction her thoughts had taken. She knew now that he was serious about her and was even thankful for all of his, erm, flings. They had definitely honed his skills.

Moving away from the distracting direction her thoughts were moving, she couldn't help but think that even the drama that Finn played out – only opening up to her while keeping most others in the dark with his smokescreen antics – was typical Finn. She truly liked both versions.

Their public and private personalities were reversed and it worked out perfectly. He brought her out of her shell when they were at parties, and she amused him with her quiet, odd ways when they spent time alone together. A night of videos with her taught him that he had severely underestimated just how wicked she could be.

Any interaction of a playful nature usually culminated with the two of them getting so caught up in one anther that they would lose track of time. They'd spend entire afternoons tasting, touching, and pleasuring each other just to see if there was anything new to learn. She'd surprised even herself with her aggressiveness. Considering their beginning, she really shouldn't have been. Beyond the physical passion, they were having fun. They enjoyed each other.

She jiggled the coffee pot and tapped at the filter basket to make sure it wasn't going to rebel against her and spew grounds and hot coffee all over her again. She'd tried to risk it once by taking an early cup, and it had fought back. Finn had responded to her shouts thinking something was on fire. She blamed him, saying appliances that were given names early on didn't have those sorts of problems.

The overworked little coffeemaker gave one last gurgling sigh and Rory withdrew the decanter and poured herself a generous mug full. She placed the pot back on the warmer and moved to sit in her favorite oversized chair by the window.

It had a pretty view of a seldom used courtyard, and she watched a nest of baby birds get fed by their mama. She and Finn had been taking note of their progress since she spotted their nest. It was as close to having a pet as she'd ever gotten and it worked out even better. No feeding, watering, or paper changing; and she still got to enjoy watching them.

She eyed the stack of books atop the end table next to the chair and picked up Paradiso. She lost herself in the words and failed to notice Finn's exit from his room. He managed to grab a cup of coffee for himself and crept over in front of her, unnoticed. He stood there, completely motionless, waiting for her to notice him.

It was a game of theirs. He liked to time how long it takes her to become aware of his presence. It varied depending on several factors. The book, how long she'd been reading, and how patient he was feeling. It started as a joke. The first few times he approached her and she didn't immediately register his presence, he took a slight offense. The more it happened, though, he realized it gave him a chance to observe her in what he considered her natural state. She was completely unguarded when absorbed in a book.

She finally took notice of him and rolled her eyes, "How long this time?" she asked with an amused purse of her lips.

"Ten minutes," he offered.

"Liar," she grinned as she smacked him with her now closed book.

"So what's this that you need to, er, discuss?" he asked, meeting her eyes at the last.

"All right, well, last night when I agreed to spend the summer with you in Australia, I completely forgot about my mom's wedding. I feel so stupid. I mean, I'm _in_ the wedding. It's written on every calendar I own. I hadn't told you yet, because they just finalized the date last week. I feel awful. Just, so, guilty," she paused in her rambling explanation as she searched for words to describe just how wretched she felt. Torn between wanting to be there with her mom and also wanting to spend the whole summer with Finn.

"Guilty?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. On one hand, I want to spend the whole summer with you. Even if that means missing my mom's wedding. I'm a horrible daughter that should be disowned. But on the other hand I can't miss my mom's wedding. It's Mom and Luke!"

"I'm not really seeing the problem here, love."

"Australia? Other side of the world? I mean, I still want to go. We just won't be together the whole time. Maybe I could come down after the wedding? Or, you could just wait with me and then we could…" she stood up to pace as she continued her rant.

"Nope, no good. I'm want to be back home for my birthday."

"Oh," she said deflated.

Folding her hands into his own, he pulled her into his lap and caught her attention.

"Rory? I want you to be in Australia for my birthday with my family, and then we'll fly back for your mom's wedding. Then, if we want to finish out the summer in Australia, we can. It's really up to us. I just really wanted to be home for my birthday, and I wanted you there with me. Besides, it might be better to ease you into my family."

"I thought you all got along pretty well?"

"Oh, we do."

"You don't think they'll like me?" she asked as her throat went dry at the thought. She remembered Logan's family's disapproval. At the time she'd been indignant, but it hadn't mattered, really. It had been their cue to back off from each other; worked out for the best all around. The idea that Finn's family wouldn't like her made her stomach flip, though.

"No!" he hurriedly reassured her. "No, quite the opposite. They will probably smother you with their enthusiasm and affection. And then praise you for putting up with me. And then question your sanity for dating me. By the time we're ready to come back here for Lorelai's wedding, they'll be trying to fix you up with one of their friends or friend's sons, because they'll have decided you're too good for me. Love, they will absolutely adore you."

He was pouting by the end of his pity-party speech. She laughed and kissed the bottom lip that was sticking out. He relaxed back into the chair with her in his arms, considering his mission accomplished. She was calm and happy once again. And kissing him. Always a good thing. Then she stopped and pulled back.

"So, when do we leave?"

"Flight leaves tomorrow evening at six."

"Finn!" she sat up and smacked him on his chest.

"What?"

"That gives me less than twenty-four hours to pack. Oh my God! I have to call Mom! I have to make a list…"

'_Here we go again_,' he thought to himself. He considered some of the tactics and talents at his disposal that he could use to calm her down, but decided against them. There'd be time for that later.


	4. Chapter 4 First Leg of the Journey

**I Think You Broke Him – Chapter 4 – First Leg of the Journey**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, just amusing myself. I promise to put them back when I'm done.**

_A/N: More fluff and happy shiny moments. Mostly background info. And I'd like to thank my aussie beta kylie1403 for making sure I didn't make Finn and family into laughable sterotypes. tips hat Thank you, dear._

Despite her moment of panic, Rory was able to get everything together and packed with plenty of time to spare. The call to Lorelai had been full of gushing proclamations, rants about time constraints, threats and promises.

In truth, Lorelai was very excited for Rory. She had all the help she needed to plan the wedding. She figured that holding it at the inn would simply things, and it had. She, Sookie, and, yes, even Michel, worked so well together running the Dragonfly that planning her own wedding went just as smoothly. The added bonus was that she knew exactly what she wanted and was very determined to get it. Besides, Rory would be back in plenty of time for all the last minute preparations.

The flight to Sydney, despite its length, was quite comfortable. Finn entertained her with stories of his friends and family. She was glad to get the background information since she was going to be meeting them very soon. The storytelling was broken up by reading, napping and card-playing. They managed to pass the time easily, as couples in love tend to do. They had actually enjoyed the uninterrupted time together. They didn't get that very often.

When the plane landed, Rory was still trying to shake off the dregs of sleep from her mind. Finn had told her earlier that one of his sisters was to pick them up from the airport. She wanted to be awake and coherent when she met the first of Finn's family.

They made it through customs with little trouble. Now they just needed to find Finn's sister.

"There she is. Meg!"

She turned when she heard her name called. She waved them over to the little area she had staked out while waiting for them. She stood as they approached and gave her brother a bear hug.

"Rory, I'd like you to meet Meg."

They exchanged the usual pleasantries of first meetings. Both had heard so much about the other that they were very excited to finally see the other in person. Meg had brought coffee and snacks for the travelers.

"I figured you'd need the boost after the flight. Rory, I'm so excited that you're here. I've wanted to meet you since my big brother first told me about you."

Finn glanced at Rory and smiled as his sister babbled on.

"Well, come on you two. Let's get your stuff to the car. Everyone's waiting."

Meg grabbed a couple of bags and took off in front of Finn and Rory. Rory grabbed her bags and skittered ahead to catch up with Meg. She had been nervous up until she'd met Meg. Now she was excited. The chance to get all sorts of blackmail information on Finn was too good to pass up.

Finn shook his head as the two exchanged stories about him. Despite carrying two bags apiece they had managed to link arms. He had to smile. Despite the potential trouble this could cause for him, he was very happy to see them getting along.

Of all his sisters, he was closest to Meg. They were only 18 months apart. Despite his young age when she was born, he'd always taken his big brother role very seriously. As they got older they'd banded together against their older sisters. They were loving, but nosy and bossy, and Finn and Meg worked as a team.

Callie and Marsha meant well, but Finn and Meg had lots of fun tag-teaming against the older duo. They stuck together, and when Celia came along they shielded her from the two oldest, as well. That wasn't necessary, it seemed. Celia was the baby and everyone doted on her. Which, in truth, drove her crazy, but she took it all good naturedly. Despite being the baby, she was the most level-headed of the bunch.

Normally, the role of mediator fell to the middle sibling. However, as they got older, Celia began finding herself in the peacemaker position. It was odd, but then so was her family, so she just accepted it. It was easy. She had them all wrapped around her finger. She knew where all their strings were, and she knew just how to pull them; she'd do anything to keep the peace.

Although, at this stage of their lives, it was usually about matchmaking schemes, or keeping mama off their backs about various issues. They were all very busy, but they managed to make time for the family. Sunday dinner was attended faithfully every week.

The only one missing was Finn, who did his best to call when he knew they'd all be around. The time change killed him, though. Luckily, he was usually up partying or with Rory late on Saturday nights. He'd find a quiet spot and speak to each family member in turn.

They'd been looking forward to having him there in person, and he was happy to be returning, as well. He was also excited that Rory had agreed to come with him. He wanted for her to see where he was from and meet his family. It was the same as her bringing him to Stars Hollow. And as far as that went, his family was capable, on a much smaller scale, of course, of exhibiting the same manic craziness that the residents of Rory's hometown regularly displayed. In his family's case, it was due to being a large wealthy family that enjoyed thumbing their noses at what was considered polite and acceptable.

For instance, despite Finn being the only boy, he was not the one that was set to take over the family business. That responsibility was Callie's. She'd spent many happy hours visiting her father at the office when she was young, and she'd never wanted anything other than to follow in his footsteps. Marsha ran the family's vineyard. She had learned everything about that business from her mother, who had stepped in to run things when her own father had retired.

With both family-run businesses well taken care of, there was no pressure on Finn. He was more than welcome to help his sisters, of course, but he was free to pursue his own interests. Compared to the expectations some of his friends back at Yale lived under, his circumstances were ideal. His one effort to follow a family tradition was in his decision to attend Yale. His father and grandfather before him had attended as a way to continue Finn's great-grandfather's legacy.

"You're awfully quiet, big brother. What are you thinking about?" Meg had noticed Finn staring out the passenger window. As they made their way through traffic Rory drifted off despite the coffee and excitement of being in a new place. Finn and Meg had chatted a while before Finn's mind had wandered.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing really. Just thinking that it's nice to be home. It'll give me a chance to catch up, see some old friends, intimidate your boyfriends," he trailed off as he leaned back in his seat and looked sideways at his baby sister.

Meg laughed before she answered her brother, "What makes you think you'll even have the chance? You know one of the reasons I'm happy you brought Rory with you is so you'll mind your own business this visit. God, Finn, the last time you came home you scared off three different guys. I'm hoping this time that you'll be so busy with Rory that you won't have time to worry about my love life."

Finn grinned sheepishly, "Don't worry, kitten. I think on this trip, the only love life I'll worry about is mine." With that, he slipped into the back seat and pulled Rory into his arms.

"Gilmore, wake up. We're almost there," he whispered into her ear.

She blinked and her eyes widened as she woke up.

"I fell asleep? You let me fall asleep?"

"Don't worry. You looked like you needed the nap."

"You ready to meet the rest of the family, Rory?" Meg asked from the driver's seat.

"Yeah, I think so," she answered as she smiled bravely for Finn's benefit.

"Don't worry. They already like you. Your only worry should be exploding from the amount of food they're going to push at you. Mom's been baking for three days. When Finn told her you liked pie, she went nuts."

"There's pie?" Rory perked up as Meg pulled into the driveway. Suddenly her nerves left her and her stomach growled. She looked over at Finn with a glint in her eye. "Just show me the way home, honey."

Finn laughed at her Top Gun reference and helped her out of the vehicle. They smiled happily at each other as they walked hand in hand up the path to the front door.


	5. Chapter 5 Family Time

**I Think You Broke Him – Chapter 5 – Family Time**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, just amusing myself. I promise to put them back when I'm done.**

**_A/N: Thanks to my betas Steph and Kylie. And to all my reviewers whose compliments were appreciated and threats went unheeded. I live in a neighborhood full of bubbas and it's hunting season, baby. Just try to get it out of me before it's ready. Ha! Just kidding. These boys won't shoot you unless you have feathers and quack. Happy New Year! On with the fluff!_**

The front door opened before they reached the end of the walk. Three women rushed out the door and descended on the three arrivals.

"Finn! Rory!"

"Come in! How was your flight?"

"Are you hungry? There's pie and coffee inside."

They were swept inside with a flurry of hugs, kisses and introductions.

"Callie and Marshall will be in later. They had a meeting with a client that they couldn't reschedule. Marshall told us to leave a little pie for them, but I told him I couldn't promise anything."

As Maxine Stevenson led the way through the house back to the family kitchen, Rory took in her surroundings. It was spacious and tastefully decorated, yet warm and inviting. It was huge, but as Finn had explained, with seven family members and a household staff that also lived there, it never felt big or lonely. The housekeeper and groundskeeper were a husband and wife team that had been with the family since before Callie was born. Their daughter Sophie was two years older and their twin sons Walter and Andrew were the same age as Marshall. Sophie had a family of her own, now, and had moved out years ago. Walter worked and lived at the vineyards and Andrew and his family still lived at the main house. Andrew was slowly but surely taking over most of the work from his aging father. Mr. Barrett was holding a mainly supervisory position these days. From the outside you'd never believe it, but sometimes the cavernous structure seemed filled to capacity.

"Maxine, your house is beautiful."

"Thank you, dear. You'll have to tell Marshall when he gets home. He's responsible for most of it. We've remodeled and added on to the original structure so much that I don't think his great-grandfather would ever recognize the place. It's the result of an architect inheriting an old house with potential."

There was a slight tussle as they all sat around the kitchen table. Finn was attempting to sit next to Rory. Marsha and Celia had other plans.

"Cows! What _are_ you doing? I'd like to sit next to my girlfriend, please.!"

"Oh cool it, Cassanova! We want to talk to Rory. Meg got her chance in the car already. We want our turn," Marsha said as she grappled with her little brother.

"Finn, sit between me and Mum," Celia instructed. "That way you can catch up with her, we can get to know Rory, and you can still make moon eyes at your girlfriend," the last bit she sing-songed as she batted her eyelashes at him.

"Well, just for that, I'm going to steal your pie when you're not looking," he teased as he leaned over to hug his youngest sister. She giggled as she hugged him back.

Rory watched the exchange from her seat between Finn's sisters. She smiled and winked at him and Meg rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Meg, help me get plates and forks while I collect the pies."

"Yes, Mum."

Maxine disappeared into the butler's pantry and reemerged a few moments later with two armloads of pies and another woman followed her with just as many.

"Mrs. Barrett! C'mere gorgeous! How's my favorite girl?"

Finn stood up to hug the housekeeper. Finn's actual grandparents had passed on when he was very young, but the Barretts had done a good job of filling that gap.

Mrs. Barrett hugged him back and then pushed him back to arms length. "Now let me look at you. It's good to see you, dear. Don't stay gone so long next time. We've missed you."

"Yes ma'am."

"Now, introduce me to your young lady."

"Mrs. Barrett, this is Rory Gilmore."

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Barrett. Finn told me so much about you."

"It's my pleasure, dear. Let me know if you need anything. There are more pies out on the counter; coffee's in the carafe."

"Thank you, Mrs. B."

After they'd helped themselves to several slices of pie each and were reseated Maxine smiled at Rory.

"I understand that your mother is getting married in a few weeks."

"Yes, she is. I'm going to be her maid of honor," Rory pronounced with a proud grin.

"Oh! You must be so excited!" Marsha exclaimed.

"I am," she said with a nod, reaching to take a sip of coffee. They make each other very happy. And," she drew out the work for effect, "Luke makes the best coffee in the northern hemisphere, so it'll be nice to have in the family."

"The northern hemisphere, then, hmm? What's brought this on?" Finn asked with innocent eyes.

Rory laughed, "This has to be the best coffee I've ever tasted. I never thought it'd happen, but Luke's just got bumped down the list."

Celia giggled. "Mrs. Barrett makes the best coffee. She has us all totally spoiled. She's always sending us with thermoses of the stuff. I don't think I've ever actually bought a cup of coffee my entire life."

The conversation continued with happy chatter welcoming Finn home and bubbling questions directed at Rory. Maxine and Marsha were very interested in the upcoming wedding. Meg and Finn caught up on his activities at Yale and her stories of their mutual friends. Celia sat back in her chair contributing to both conversations and watching the cozy scene.

"I'm amazed your mother is doing everything all on her own."

Rory smiled and tilted her head to one side as she answered, "Well, she's had plenty of practice getting things accomplished on her own. Plus, she's got the connections from running the inn. They've had other wedding out there before so she has a really good idea of who to call and everything. She has this vision in her head and I think between her and Sookie they'll have everything ready by the time my plane lands in New York."

"You know we've talked about opening up the vineyards to wedding parties. You know, not just allowing use as a site, but as a full service wedding planner. I'm just not sure about being able to run the vineyards and plan weddings and play hostess."

"Marsha, that's a great idea," Finn told his older sister. "You should look into hiring somebody."

The conversation continued in this vein as the Stevenson family discussed Marsha's plans for the vineyard. Meg perked up at the mention of wedding and party planning. She and Marsha started brainstorming ideas and the others added thoughts on various points of discussion. They continued this way until Callie and Marshall appeared in the doorway.

The both looked exhausted. Callie had kicked off her heels at the door and was carrying them by the strap and was untucking her blouse from the charcoal gray knee length skirt she was wearing. Marshall's tie was undone and hanging around his neck while worked at the top two buttons of his dark blue dress shirt.

Celia noticed the tension in both of their shoulders and shouted, "Pie and coffee! Stat!" She and Meg hopped up and immediately filled two mugs of coffee and two platefuls of the pie selections.

While they saw to that, introductions to the two remaining Stevensons were made.

"Dad, Callie, I'd like you to meet Rory Gilmore. Love, this is my dad and his mini-me."

Callie rolled her eyes. It was true. She was daddy's girl. No one had been surprised when she followed in his architectural footsteps.

"Rory, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. You'll have to excuse the dramatic entrance. We had a lengthy meeting this afternoon**."**

"Which started this morning," Callie added as she embraced Rory and Finn in turn.

"Anything wrong?" Maxine inquired.

"Oh, no. Just the usual squabbles that go along with these large projects."

Marshall Stevenson sighed as he lowered his tall, lean frame into an open chair. He was an older version of Finn with laugh lines around his eyes and graying hair at his temples.

"Cal, please remind me why I agreed to do this project?"

"It's a children's hospital, we're funding 65 of the project through the Stevenson Estate, and because you owe John Douglas a lot of favors." Callie ticked off each reason on her fingers in between bites of pie. "And because you're a sucker for all those adorable children that made postcards for you," she added with a smirk that she tried to hide behind her coffee mug. He simply nodded in agreement. He was a sucker.

"Aww. I see where Finn gets his soft side from," Rory said to Maxine who had moved to sit next her when Marshall and Callie had arrived.

"Rory, I have one word for you," Maxine said with a small smile curving her lips upward.

"Scrapbook."

Rory gave a squeal and did a happy dance in her chair.

Finn, who had been caught up in the discussion of his father's latest project, felt something prickle his senses. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as his mum stood and left the room. Rory looked as if she'd just been promised an unlimited supply of ice cream.

When he saw his mom return holding a large brown leather binder, he caught on.

"Mum, please?" he pleaded, knowing full well that his attempt was useless.

As Rory got up from her chair she passed by Finn on her way to join Maxine in the den. She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry. I'll make it up to you later," she whispered before pulling away with a wink and a smile. She walked away rubbing her hands in anticipation of yet more blackmail material.


	6. Chapter 6 Showoffs

**I Think You Broke Him – Chapter6 – Showoffs**

**Rating: T **

**Disclaimer: Not mine, just amusing myself. I promise to put them back when I'm done. **

**A/N: Thanks to my betas. Kylie, for being ever so patient and instructive about Austrailian things. And for all the chatting back and forth. My Aussies would sound like Americans if it weren't for her. And to Steph for her encouragement and brave face in the face of her wisdom teeth removal. Feel better and take the drugs. And don't be afraid to ask for more.** **To the rest of you reviewers, thank you ever so. It's nice to have an escape these days. My office is just east of the 17th street canal in New Orleans. We did not take on water, miraculously,and we are now back in business, so to speak. However, I now work inside the dead zone. As much as you enjoy the story? I need to amuse myself by telling it. But you know the saddest thing today? I was at the store and the first Hubig's pie I have seen since August 26th was a lemon. Lemon? Not chocolate. Not apple. Lemon. That's just crap, I tell ya.On with the story.**

Oh. My. God. Maxine, you have the scrapbooks subdivided. This is. Amazing." Rory said in awe.

"School, sports, vacations, holidays and Other."

"There's some pretty good stuff in Other!" Marsha shouted from the kitchen.

"I don't know. Finn has some pretty funny stuff in every category," Meg said as she and Celia joined them.

"Make sure you see the vacation picture from that year all of the cousins came down," Meg began.

"And page 5 of Other," Celia interrupted.

"Page 5?" Meg asked. Celia looked at her sister and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Oh, yes! Look at page 5 first!" Meg caught on.

Rory giggled as Maxine slapped her daughters' hands away from the much peered through scrapbook.

"Girls! I think we'll start with his _school_ pictures," she said with a wink and a slightly wicked smile.

Her daughters grinned. Their mom was indeed the master. Start with the adorable, _then_ move to the embarrassing.

"Oh!" Rory gasped in adoration. "Knee socks!" she cooed.

Meg and Celia giggled.

"He was in knee socks and shorts in Kindergarten and Year 1. He cried when he had to wear long trousers the first day of Year 2."

Maxine proudly flipped through the scrapbook spending equal amounts of time on the adorable and embarrassing, and some that were a little bit of both. There were keepsakes glued alongside formal photos and casual snapshots. Maxine had kept everything from every year of school. She had crafts from art classes and articles from the school paper. If it could be flattened and attached to a page, it was in the book.

"And here we have the famous, or infamous rather, page 5."

Rory cooed and then collapsed in a fit of giggles along with the Stevenson women. At that point, Finn ambled into the room and rolled his eyes at the women. He peered over Celia's shoulder.

"Good God. _That's_ what is so amusing? _Everyone_ has a naked baby picture in a scrapbook. If you please, mum?"

His mom handed the heavy volume over to her son with a curious look.

"I happen to think this is a lot more original," he suggested, handing the scrapbook back to Rory.

"What is this?" she asked, a huge grin spreading over her face.

"My rugby team," he said as he waggled his eyebrows.

"Show offs", Meg scoffed.

"I think we had a lot to be proud of that season," Finn defended.

It was a typical team photo with the whole team lined up, with one minor exception.

"I just have one question," Rory said between giggles.

"Yes, love?"

"Did you guys ever think of doing a calendar?" she managed before collapsing back into the couch with another fit of laughter.

"Very funny," he said as he snatched the scrapbook back from her. He examined the team photo more closely as his father walked up behind him

"Was that the year you went undefeated?" his father asked.

"Almost. We only lost one game all season. We were undefeated the next year."

His father squinted at the picture again. "Was it cold that day, son"

The girls roared with laughter as Marshall grinned widely.

An indignant Finn placed the still open scrapbook on the table and lifted Rory to her feet.

"Come on, beautiful. I'll show you the rest of the house.

As the rest of the family moved to take care of other things, Mrs. Barrett came in to gather up empty coffee cups and straighten up. She picked up the scrapbook to return it to its place with the girls'. As she did she glanced down at the current page before shutting it. She clucked her tongue in a disapproving manner.

"Not a stitch of clothes on a single one of 'em." she muttered to herself as she chuckled lightly.

Finn showed Rory the rest of his boyhood home. The basement that was outfitted with a huge entertainment center with several large couches and comfy chairs was first. He promised they would return later to plan a movie night. Satisfied he led her on to the library where she again got distracted.

"Come on, Gilmore. I still need to show you our room and it's almost dinner," he said.

"Dinner? Why didn't you say so?"

He chuckled as he dragged her up the stairs. "You were so involved in smelling the philosophy section I didn't want to disturb you," he teased.

"Sorry, can't help myself. Which one is ours?" she asked as they reached the top of the staircase.

"This way," he led her down the hallway.

At the end of the hall Finn paused. "Love, I just want you to know how happy I am that you came here with me, to see my home and meet my family."

Rory reached up and traced her finger along his jaw line. She leaned towards him and as their lips met she said softly, "Happy to be here."

"Aww," Celia said, and Meg teased the couple, "So sweet."

Rory giggled as Finn rolled his eyes as they broke apart.

"Rory, we cleared out drawer and closet space in Finn's room, but let us know if you need more space or anything else."

"Okay, thanks," Rory smiled at the girls.

"Dinner in 30!" Celia told them as Finn pulled a smiling Rory into his room.

He picked her up, kicked the door closed, and tossed her onto the bed.

"Finn, we're supposed to be getting ready for dinner!" she laughingly protested.

"We are!" he told her as he began kissing a favorite spot on her neck. "After all that pie, we need to work up an appetite. Besides, you're doing me a favor here"

"Favor?" she managed. She really liked that spot. It was one of her favorites, too.

"Mmm, hmm. Helping me to fulfill one of my fantasies. Woman of my dreams in my old bedroom…"

"Oh, really?" she purred. "In that case, thirty minutes is plenty of time."

"Oh, and, love?"

"Yes?"

"Try not to scream as loud as usual? These walls are not soundproofed."

"Finn!" she gasped at him. "I do _not_ scream," she said with a hint of indignation.

"Call it whatever," he said with a grin. "You, woman, are loud," he said with a smile.

"Well, fine. But if I can't be loud you can't do that thing you do that makes me loud."

"What thing?" he asked innocently as he moved to do just that.

"Gah! You know what. Ooh. Oh, I give up."

The two carried on as they were wont to do. Amazingly they had enough time to, er, fully, enjoy themselves and get ready for dinner.. They were indeed happy to have done something to work up an appetite for dinner. Mrs. Barrett and Maxine had gone all out for Finn's homecoming dinner. All his favorites and then some. As they sat down at the table they eyed the waiting meal with anticipation and waited for the others to take their seats.


	7. Chapter 7 Settling In

**I Think You Broke Him – Chapter7 – Settling In**

**Rating: T **

**Disclaimer: Not mine, just amusing myself. I promise to put them back when I'm done. **

"All settled in, you two?"

"Yeah, thanks," Rory replied with a slight blush.

Meg smirked as Celia disguised a giggle with a cough. Marsha rolled her eyes at what she assumed her younger sisters were on about. Callie and Marshall were oblivious to any underlying unspoken innuendo.

As Maxine and Mrs. Barrett entered with the last trays of food, Marsha kicked Celia under the table and the three did their best to sober themselves.

Rory had turned a bright shade of red that had spread all the way to her ears. Finn simply rolled his eyes and slung his arm around her giving her a quick hug and a small smile. He caught her gaze and winked his reassurance.

The girls noticed Rory's embarrassment and Finn's lack thereof and backed off. They liked Rory and figured it would be a little longer before she'd be used to having sisters teasing her.

"So, do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Marshall asked Finn.

"Well, I thought we'd just take it easy in the morning. Recover from the trip and all. Then in the afternoon I wanted to show Rory around the neighborhood. I thought I'd take her to see Cat. I haven't seen him in a couple of years." Finn had mentioned his old friend to Rory many times and she knew he was looking forward to the chance to catch up with him.

Fin continued describing his and Rory's plans for the next couple of days. He didn't notice Celia's pointed look at Meg and Meg's own silencing glare. Celia just shrugged and decided to stay out of it. It was much safer.

Marsha and Maxine urged Finn to bring Rory out to the vineyards in a couple of days.

"Come out and make a day of it. You can get the full tour, have lunch, all of that."

"And, maybe I can get Meg and Rory's input on a few things before the gala," Marsha added. "Mom and I are stuck. Maybe new sets of eyes with fresh ideas can help.

"Gala?" Rory asked.

"Charity event thingy we do at the vineyards twice a year. Formal, good food, good wine, charge the rich loads of money to attend, and give all of it to the hospital that our Great-great whoever helped to establish. We've made it so exclusive, this year to balance things out, we're auctioning off ten of the tickets on ebay. Raise more cash and make the snobs irritated. Great fun," Marshall explained.

"Very nicely simplified, dear," Maxine told her husband with a roll of her eyes.

"It's coming up pretty quick, isn't it?"

"Oh, yes. We just need some last minute detail things. We've just had such a huge response this year that we're having trouble arranging things."

"How about the three of us come out day after tomorrow? We don't really have plans, so I guess it depends on Meg's schedule."

Meg agreed, excited for the opportunity to see her brother and get a chance to let her mom and sister hear her ideas.

The rest of dinner was spent in the usual manner. It was their time to play catch-up with each other. They were able to do this but rarely. At least once a week, surely, but they had been missing a very important component. Everyone was glad to have Finn home and he was indeed happy to be home.

Rory observed this large boisterous family with amusement and longing in turn. Even Marshall and Callie's description of their architectural problems were made amusing. The longing she felt was two-fold.

On one side, she missed her mom and everything that she knew she was missing out on by being here. She was missing the planning of the penultimate event of her mom and Luke's relationship, during her mom's last weeks as a true Gilmore Girl.

The other side of that longing came from observing Finn in his natural setting. She had gotten to see a side of him that Logan, Colin and Steph had never glimpsed. She was now seeing that side of him fully realized. He was where he belonged. Here he was in his element with the people that helped make him the person he was. She also watched the interactions of his large family and deep down longed for something like it.

She'd always been happy with her mom, but seeing the Stevensons interact showed her another possibility.

After dinner everyone helped Mrs. Barrett clear the table. She shooed the girls out of the kitchen, telling them they needed to spend time with their brother. Finn kissed her cheek as he set his dinner things on the sideboard.

"Thanks, Mrs. B. I haven't eaten so well since the last time I was home."

She smiled and patted his cheek in thanks. "Any requests for breakfast?"

"Anything, as long as it's served with your coffee," Rory said.

Finn chuckled, "You've converted a new disciple."

Rory laughed as she added, "It's the best I've ever had, and, believe me, I've sampled quite a bit in my lifetime. What's your secret?"

"She won't tell us! Absolutely refuses."

"I've told them time and again that they'll each inherit a piece of it when I pass on."

Rory laughed at this teasing, "Luke won't give it to us either. I've always wondered if he was spiking it with some illegal addictive substance or a flavor enhancer."

"Don't think MSG works on coffee, love," Finn supplied.

They said goodnight to Mrs. Barrett and went to join the rest of the family in the basement after changing into sweats and t-shirts, the only proper movie night attire. It had been decided that in order to make Rory feel more at home they'd begin her visit with a movie night. Stevenson family rules. Talking, mocking, popcorn throwing and line-quoting were highly encouraged. Scene reenactments were mandatory.

Rory and Finn eventually wound up at one end of the large sofa. Curled into each other and contentedly relaxed. They were well fed, comfortable and warm.

At some point the Stevensons noticed the sleeping couple.

"Aw, look how sweet. Just like when he was little," Callie observed.

"Why can't he stay like that?" Marsha teased with a giggle.

Meg had retrieved her camera and was currently lining up her shot. She snapped the picture and the two slumbered on. Maxine looked over her daughter's shoulder to see the picture.

"After you print that one, make sure you keep a high quality version of that on your hard drive, Meg," Callie advised.

"Sure. Why?"

"I think we'll blow it up poster size and use it at their wedding reception."

The Stevenson women smiled at each other knowingly. They knew Finn, and they knew it was only a matter of time.

At the end of the evening, Marshall carried a sleeping Rory up to Finn's room as Maxine led a mostly asleep Finn up the stairs. They tucked them into bed and paused at the door for a look back. Already the couple had snuggled closer together. They smiled at each other and shut the door. Marshall put his arm around Maxine as them walked down the hall to their room.


End file.
